Oncoming Storms and Eastwinds
by Violet Verner
Summary: "My hearts dropped further," John was missing. In a world where Sherlock Holmes is the Doctor's son, Violet Verner Holmes is his daughter. When a new villain comes knocking, it'll take all three geniuses- Sherlock, the Doctor, and Violet, to beat him(and their separate egos) - and find John in under 24 hours, or pay the ultimate price. No infringement intended.
1. The Game is On

I appeared in the alley-way, disappointed at the weather. The last case I had was on the warm planet of Pyroniticax.-being hailed back into the rain and cold of London was a bit of a let down. Still, it was home.

I cautiously walked down the drenched street, head tilted down out of the rain and wind. I cursed myself for not keeping an umbrella in my extensively large pockets. Flipping my coat collar up, I kept walking, trying to stay out of the puddles.

When I finally reached the cafe I was looking for, I opened the door happily. The warmth of inside greeted me, engulfing me like a hug as I walked in. I glanced around the brightly coloured room, quickly finding the table I was looking for-or, rather, the two men I was looking for.

The one on the left was looking curiously at his tea-cup. Him, with his bow-tie and tweed suit as always. The man on the right was looking around the room, his icy eyes, like mine, darting around the room. He, with his curly hair and dark clothes. His eyes finally locked onto me, and his lips curled into a smile. He cleared his throat, and the man next to him looked up. Spotting me, he broke into an even bigger smile.

I took off my black trench coat(it looked a lot like the man on the right's), and sat down in the wooden chair across the two men.

" No fez today?" I asked the man on the left.

" No! Not in this rain! Plus ,this one here forbade me!" he said, pointing to the man next to him.

" Glad he did. Even you shouldn't wear that in public,really."

" Hey! Fezzes are cool!" he replied, faking a hurt face.

" And I see you've recently wrapped up a week-long case," I said, now looking at the other man.

" Yes, and you have been on Pyroniticax for the past nine days," he returned. I broke the act-ritual, really- and broke into a smile.

" Daddylock!" I said, kissing the curly haired man on the cheek.

" I thought we agreed not to use the silly pet name!" he said, returning the kiss half-halfheartedly. I ignored him.

" And Granddad!" I said, hugging the other man.

" Violet! How long has it been, five months?"

" Um... Granddad... it's been three _years,_"

" Ah, sorry. Skipping about Time, in my Timeline, it's only 2012, in fact, it's what, 2034 now? Every time you see me, it's my future, who knows, next time you see me in my proper Timeline, it might not be this face! Anyway, it's only been a few months for me, promise.

How's the Consulting Timelord idea going, did it happen?" he said, smirking. Dad hated when I used that term. He said it sounded childish, but I knew the World's Only Consulting Detective was just jealous his daughter had the same job on a universal scale.

" Yes, it's going quite well."

" Where's Pyrontitax now?" Granddad asked. He often got confused on what was happening in what time.

" Pyrondi Goneri is king of Hesina now."

" I remember him-told the best jokes!" he said. Daddy only rolled his eyes in return. It was all getting dull for him, I could tell... but there was something else.

" Hey, I haven't had a proper cup of tea in ages- I'm dying for some. Do you mind?" I asked, pointing at the counter.

" Of course," they both said. I walked over to the warm coloured counter and ordered a Chai Latte. I was caving it, it was true, but that's not the only reason I went up.

Some explanation is due, I suppose. The man in the bowtie who actually talked was the Doctor(do your research, if you must), my Grandfather. The other man was Sherlock Holmes(you'd better know!), his son, my father. Further clarification is probably due for those out of the loop- most people, I suppose.

Back on Gallifrey, the Doctor married and had a few kids- my father was amongst them. When he was 115, my dad and a few others felt bored of Gallifrey(somehow), and decided to escape to Earth. The year was 1879.

He met one of those escapees again a few years later. By then he had honed his skills his powers of deduction, and invented his own trade of " Consulting Detective"- but he found himself lacking money, and signed up for a flat share. When he met his new flat-mate, they both knew what they _really_ were, and became good friends. Impressed by my father's skills, his friend wrote up dozens of their cases together, and sent them to a magazine, _The Strand_ as edited by Sir. Arthur Conan Doyle. And so the world was introduced to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson for the first time.

50 years-two pseudonyms-later, the Time War came on like a storm, calling all to fight. They did fight- detectives, doctors, government agents alike, all becoming warriors. Many, many died. But some escaped. In the last hour of the War, before the Doctor...

Little did he know, two of his sons got away to Earth. They landed in 1999. By then, Sherlock Holmes and company where faded memories in the minds of grandmothers.

My father laid low for a while, but he couldn't stand it after a while. He took on his old pseudonym again, and re-booted his trade. All was well again, but as he had a century before, he found himself broke. Taking up a clue from an old life(that's an expression- he hadn't regenerated at all) he signed up for a flat-share, ready for a stupid flatmate this time. Imagine his surprise then, when for a second time, he was introduced to a Dr. John Watson! John, or as I call him, Uncle John had regenerated, so his personality had changed a bit, but he was still the long-suffering, loyal Watson, and he and Dad found themselves in another deep friendship.

And yet another surprise came! Dad married a Miss Molly Hooper and a year later, I was born. 21 years later brought us to this cafe.

Why the long back-story? To clarify, yes. But to also express that some things don't change. Dad was never one to call for family meetings, and while Granddad was a bit warmer, he didn't like sit-downs much either. They where trying to break some news to me in a quiet, calm way. I looked into my makeup mirror under the guise of fixing my contact, and saw Dad and Grandad whispering, heads almost touching. I payed my 3 Quid, and sat back down.

" So what 's wrong? I can spot an act a mile away, what with you two as my relatives. Oh, come on you two, please don't give me the innocent looks, I'm not three; You're not the only geniuses in the room any more, remember?"

They both raised their eyebrows, scolding my disrespect with their eyes alone. " Sorry."

" No, you're right. She is _so_ your daughter, Ren-Sherlock..." Granddad said, almost giving his son's name away. Dad glared at his father. He turned to me.

" Alright. Go on," he said. He liked to test my deductions, make sure I wasn't guessing.

" For starters, you forgot to put the grey in, meaning you've been busy, and therefore stressed," I said, pointing to his hair.

Mummy was blissfully unaware that Dad would never age, no matter how old his regeneration- he was only on his second form( he had regenerated once when he blew some chemicals into his face as a child back on Gallifrey, but since then, the curly haired, blue-eyed man had reamined the same for the past few centuries). She knew she would be the first to pass, but Daddy and I wanted to keep it easy on her, so he added grey dye to his curls. The fact that they where as black as mine was rather obvious.

" Oh, yes. Continue," he said.

" Then, there's the fact that both of you are quite pale, meaning that you have both been working on something sinister for at least a day. Just now, you two where whispering, meaning you wanted to hide something from me, obviously, and the fact that you forgot that I see almost everything means you're _really_ stressed out. Then, of course, there's text," I smiled.

The text in question ran :

_Cafe. Come at once if convenient, if inconvenient, come anyway._

_-SH h and the Doctor too! _: )

"The extra 'h' means that he snatched from you mid-text I said, pointing to Granddad, who smiled guiltily, " Meaning, you two where sitting next to each other. The fact that you texted me at all on a- today's Sunday- Sunday, when Mummy usually forces you to calm down, means something really big is going on for you personally, plus you brought Granddad in, even bigger. Now as to what-"

Oh. It hit me. We weren't at Speedy's, meaning Dad wanted to draw attention away from Baker St. I looked at my father up and down. _Stressed, worried, hasn't slept in several days, hasn't eaten in almost as much time, hasn't seen Mum for a while..._

My hearts dropped. The temperature in the room dropped several degrees, but I couldn't move either hand to the cup of tea in front of me. Quietly, afraid to hear the answer, I said,

" Where's Uncle John?"

No one spoke.

" Daddy: What's going on?"

Grandad spoke in his place. " Missing."

" How long?"

" Three days."

They where trying to keep calm. I wasn't as successful. "THREE DAYS! Three days, and not a single sign, nothing from the Homeless Network, Uncle Mycroft's people, not a thing?"

" Do you not think I have tried anything!" my father yelled. People around us stared. I was shocked: even he, a man of little patience had never snapped at me before. Granddad glared at him.

" Sherlock, she was only trying to help! She is scared, and concerned for John, just like the rest of us. Apologize!"

They locked eyes for a moment, cobalt locked on ice. Surprisingly, dad gave way first, and looked at me. " You are right. I am sorry, Ginevra, I am... unwell." I smiled back at him, but I was very worried. Ginevera. My real name. The name I despised, but the name he gave me. The fact that he used my given name, not the pseudonym we all agreed upon was concerning. He went back to staring at the wall. Granddad picked up the slack.

" Mycroft's people have confirmed that John is nowhere on Earth." My mind raced.

I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the news I was about to hear. " Violet. He was taken by force."

My hearts dropped even further. I knew that anyone who could take John Watson against his will was a force to be reckoned with. Meaning-

" Oh, my gosh. Mum! Auntie Mary! Are they okay?" Really starting to freak out now.

" Yes-sorry, should have told you, yes they're fine. They're with Mycroft." Cold comfort, but comfort all the same.

Suddenly, dad's phone beeped- a text. He read it aloud for Granddad to hear.

"_The planet that's red, _

_For the people that are green._

_Twenty-four Earth hours_

_Until Johnny boy's never seen"_

"Twenty-four Earth hours until Johnny boy's never seen,"- One day for Uncle John to live. I gulped. It was a clue, but a morbid one. This was a playful psychopath, maybe even schizophrenic- someone who thought of crime as a game. My relatives looked at each other.

" This isn't good," Granddad said.

" Obviously! What- green people, red planet- What's on Raxacoricofallapatorius?"

" Don't know, but we'll need some vinegar-"

" 24 hours," I interjected, and put on my coat, " Sorry to be rude, but doesn't that mean we should get going?"

My father looked at me for the first time. " _You_ are not going."

" What? Of course I am, you sent me a text!"

" To make sure you where alive!" Granddad said. "It's too dangerous to-"

" Oh, please, Granddad, don't give me that, please. I've been in the face of it for three years now, I think I know-"

" DON'T YOU SEE!" Dad yelled. " This isn't a stolen star, or a triple homicide, this is revenge! This is revenge on me! The style of writing- whoever this is, he's playing with me!"

" Toying with you? How?"

" This is the same style of Moriarty-laying clues all over the place, texts, pictures are probably next- I guarantee you, as soon as I get to Raxacoricofallapatorius, it won't be John waiting, it'll be some stupid puzzle for me to solve! If He could get so personal as to act like Moriarty, don't you think he knows about you? Could you consider what would happen to your mother and I if it was you?" I was shocked again. Dad had never been so vehement about anything.

Of course I was scared. I had read Uncle John's blog. I knew how Jim Moriarty had toyed with Dad. I had read the old magazines: I knew how Moriarty's great-great-grandfather, Professor James Moriarty had messed with my father in a difference life. I knew that both times, my father had to fake his death- deaths that didn't allow regeneration- to take down each Moriartys' webs to protect London. To protect John, and other people Dad loved. I knew that the second time was how Dad showed his trust for Mum.

I was scared: scared of this adversary that was acting like another Moriarty; scared that He was scaring my rock-solid father and grandfather. But, like them, I was also angry.

I loved Uncle John. Truth be told, I liked him better than my real Uncle, Mycroft. Uncle John was so nice to me, a second father, someone who I could rely on when Dad didn't get it, and Mummy was too emotional- the perfect middle. Uncle John was the one who softened my dad, melted the ice enough for him to fall in love. In effect, without John Watson, there would be no Ginevra Holmes.

" Daddy," I said after a time. " I know. I am scared, really scared. But that is why I _am_ going- I am scared for Uncle John, and I am angry and He is not going to get away with this. And if you don't let me go with you _in_ the TARDIS, I still have a good Vortex Manipulator, and so help me, I will sonic it to track you two throughout the Universe if I have to! But, please. I want to help."

They stared at me. Then Granddad smiled sadly and said, " Sherlock, she is too much like us!" Dad chuckled.

" So I can go?" I said.

" Was it a question?" Dad asked. " I thought not. Well, Doctor, where did you park the TARDIS?"

" ' Cross the street!" Granddad said, jumping up and walking out the door. Before Dad could follow him, I hugged him. He slowly hugged back. I considered crying for a millisecond, but I didn't, knowing he would have disapproved. I just stood there, like a child, trying to get as much comfort as I could from my father's thin arms. I took a few deep breaths to calm down my racing hearts.

I breathed him in, the familiar scents of my childhood calming me down; the honey soap, the slight smell of cigarettes( meaning he was stressed, no surprise), the slightly musty smell of Baker St,his natural smell that a truly dedicated daughter like myself could recognize anywhere. I could hear his hearts. Everyone said he didn't have even one, mistaking him for a human, but it wasn't true. He hid his hearts, kept them at bay, for he used to be afraid of them being broken. But now, as I stood there, seeking comfort, I sensed it was two sided- his best friend in the Universe, the one that was there even before Mum( no competition, I assure you) was missing- I was comforting him too.

I felt both my hearts, and his, slowing down, and we released each other. He looked me up and down and chuckled softly. That was all I needed- he would give no words of comfort- it wasn't his area- but he knew I knew the chuckle was enough. We walked together to the TARDIS, ignored the doors instructions, and pushed the doors open. The game was on.


	2. Family Dynamics

As Dad and I walked into the TARDIS, I was hit by a wave of nostalgia. I couldn't fight it, and let it come on. I remembered the time I was six, and Grandad and Dad brought Mummy and I in the TARDIS to tell me what I was. Mum was there to calm me down, because God knows I needed it. They told me why I could never go to the hospital. Why I was so smart for my age. Why Grandad was so weird. Why Dad never fit in.

When it was my 18th birthday, we came in here again to celebrate my birthday. It was Dad's birthday as well, but the party was mostly for me, which is why Uncle Mycroft was there. Uncle John and Auntie Mary were there too to the whole family's delight.

_When Uncle Mycroft left, Granddad still continued the party, probably glad his boring son was gone. He asked me where I wanted to go. It didn't take me long to say, "London, 1895, Christmas Ball!" I knew they threw elaborate balls_ _back then, and I had always wanted to go there. Daddy and Uncle John stared at each other for a moment, having a conversation from just looks. Uncle John looked back at me._

_" Really?Are you sure? 1895 balls were a bit... doesn't sound like you?" Auntie Mary touched his arm. "Oh, come on John," she said, " It'll be fun!" He looked at her, and for some reason, he looked sad, but he smiled. Dad wouldn't give up._

_" But, that's back on our Timelines, and-" _

_" Oh, Sherlock! It's her birthday, sweetie!" Mum interjected._

_" Quite right, Molly!" Granddad said, flipping a the main lever. " And, besides, we all know you boys are just scared to dance. Great choice, Violet, you know how much I love to dance!"_

_Dad and Uncle John tried to protest again, but the TARDIS had already made the beautiful VROM noise she always does, and we where thrown against the rails. Grandad and I laughed, Mummy and Auntie Mary giggled, and Daddy and Uncle John huffed._

_When we landed, Grandad said," Well, what are you waiting for? You know where the closet is, go get changed, look for the Victorian stuff!" Dad and Uncle John begrudgingly went first, and I heard Dad mutter something along the lines of, " Worst birthday ever..." and Uncle John snorted._

_The others all went ahead, but Granddad held me back. " Hang on a moment," he said as he went under the TARDIS console. When he came back, he had a beautiful blue and purple dress. It was long, and had puffy sleeves, and came with a black tiara and elbow gloves- a typical, yet beautiful Victorian party dress. I hugged him._

_" How did you know? And... where and how did you get this?"_

_" Oh, you know me; I have my ways." he said, grinning. Which means he stole it. For once in my life, I actually didn't mind too much..._

_They came out one by one. Auntie Mary and Mummy came out first. They both had party dresses similar to mine, both with long gloves and purses and such. Auntie Mary's was dark blue and had lots of lace; Mummy's was a deep red, which suited her hair perfectly. _

_When Daddy and Uncle John came out, all girls laughed. They had matching suits(I guess Grandad wasn't very creative when it came to his Victorian disguises), with bowties and top hats. _

_To my delight, Dad looked exactly how he did in _The Strand_ – he sleeked back his messy curls even(" We couldn't have hair like mine back then-now, whatever- I would get stones thrown at me!)_

_Each man's wife came over and told them that they looked hansom, and not to worry. Uncle John looked at Dad again and snorted. " Well, Holmes, guess this is like old times!"_

_" Let us hope we are not recognized, my dear Watson," Dad replied. We all laughed..._

_We danced like all around us. I was expecting my father and Uncle John to be bad at it, but to the mortification of those around us, they where the ones teaching their wives to dance. _

_I first danced with Granddad, who stepped on my slippers several times("Could never get the hold of human dancing in this time period! Too... slow...")_

_I danced with Dad, and we made deductions about people around us, a game we had been playing together for the past decade. He won of course._

_Lastly, I danced with Uncle John, who told jokes about this time period. Then I asked, " Uncle John, why did you and Daddy not want to come here?" He paused, then smiled at me._

_" 1895 ball- I went to one with Mary once. We didn't know which one the Doctor would take us to." I knew he meant the first Mary Morstan, his first wife- the distant cousin of _this_ Mary Moristan, her name sake, actually.* Auntie Mary looked so much like her relative, and in clothes from this time... I hadn't given it a thought._

_" Oh. Uncle John, I am so sorry! I hadn't thought-"_

_" Violet, it's okay! You couldn't 've known! But why did _you_ want to come here?" he asked, spinning me._

_" You're going to think it's cheesy..."_

_" Common. Can't be that bad- remember, I've lived with your father- when he does decide to be funny, he's either the most sarcastic jerk in the world- sorry, but it's true- oh, see, agree! Anyway, when he's not being a jerk, he is the king of cheese. Go on, tell, I won't tell the others."_

_" Okay. 1895 is the year you wrote up all my favorite cases you had with Dad."_

_He laughed. " See, I told you!" I said._

_" No, it's not that! I'm just flattered! You're father let you read the old ones too?"_

_" Well... he doesn't know. Granddad got an original copy for me on my 15__th__."_

_He laughed. " Ginevra Holmes- Violet Verner, sorry- you are the coolest kid I have ever known."_

Uncle John. This memory grounded the severity of the situation, and re-rooted the feelings I had for the wretch who took our family friend away from us. I snapped back into reality, and noticed both my grandfather and father staring at me.

" Violet, are you okay?" Granddad said.

" Fine, Granddad, fine, I'm always fine," I lied. They both eyed me weirdly, but said nothing. Granddad flipped the main the main switch.

He spoke as he ran around, pressing buttons. " Oh, Violet, for the rest of this case, and, your life, don't call me 'Granddad' in public- I look too young. Hold on!" he said, as the TARDIS plunged into the Vortex, and I fell against the rail.

From next to me, Daddy said, " Same with me. For this case, at least, call me 'Sherlock'. Don't give me that look, Violet, be practical! When I have no grey in, I look more like your brother. When I have grey in, you are still entitled to call me 'Dad'!"

I didn't mind calling Granddad 'the Doctor', but calling my dad 'Sherlock' was just... weird.

" But, Dad!" He raised an eyebrow. " Fine, Sherlock, we look too alike to be just brother and sister, and there's defiantly enough difference in our ages to be twins." It was true, and he knew it, he had to have! Minus my mother's nose and the height, I looked like the female incarnation of my father: the long, black curls, the pale skin, the skinny build, even the high cheekbones, for goodness' sake: all of it my father's.

He chuckled. " I have never said this in my long life, but, my dear, luckily enough, most idiots are not observant enough to notice." He was eye to eye with me. " Just ride with it, as our friend would say- I have seen you act before, you're almost as good as me... kind of..." he said. That was amazing comfort, coming from him. His eyes drifted to the screen.

" Doctor, I thought we where going to Raxacoricofallapatorius! It says we're going to Vinvoccarni!"

" You can read Circular Gallifreyan?" I asked, surprised.

" Of course, I am a child of Gallifrey!"

" Well, yeah, but why didn't you teach me?"

" Useless skill! Now, shut up!"

I scowled, but he didn't see.

" Of course we're going to Raxacoricofallapatorius, Sherlock, remember the clue?" the Doctor said.

" Yes, I remember the clue, obviously! Red planet with green people, Raxacoricofallapatorians are green!"

" Yes, true, but off. Don't give me the look, hear me out! Three points: One, you've been spending too much time on Earth- Raxacoricofallapatorius is _orange,_ not red. B, or, two: We know He is playing with personal stuff- I've dealt with the Vinvocci before, when I..." He paused. I knew he meant when he regenerated, he never talked about his previous lives. He continued. " And point three: The TARDIS is drawing us here." Dad and I only looked at each other.

Before we exited the TARDIS, the Doctor looked at us. " Remember, He's being personal, too personal, so, Sherlock, if you see anything that relates to you in any way-"

" Oh, please," Dad replied, " Doctor, I am not an idiot like your companions- I know what I am-"

" Don't you DARE insult my companions, they have done more for the UNIVERSE than you have for Earth alone!"

" Hah! At least I am a proper father, and let's not forget who protected the city they grew up in-"

" ME!"

" OI!" I yelled. They turned to me. " Please, stop it! Uncle John is Goodness knows where, in the hands of some maniac, and his hope is fighting!"

They backed away from each other, defeated, and my father walked out the door first; Granddad gave me an apologetic look. I could not face him. I followed my father out the door.

I knew the proverbial fireworks would fly if these two alpha dogs were sharing the same case- and I knew that _I _would have to be the one to placate them both.

*This is what Violet has been lead to believe, obviously. She has no way to know what Mary really is, and that will stay that way- only John, Sherlock and Mary herself know for sure.


	3. Burns Come in Many Variations

As soon as we stepped out of the TARDIS, we were certain something was wrong. It was way too quiet. We had landed on a hill near what seemed to be a well-constructed, advanced civilization; with tall, silver buildings, air highways, hospitals, the whole deal found in a Capital City. But there was not a single hover car was flying, not a noise from the city below.

All three of us ran to the city gate. The Doctor had already taken out his sonic to switch off the lock, but he didn't need it-the gate was already wide open. He said aloud what we were all thinking:

" Deserted." He led the way into the city. Dad, however, held me back.

" No, dad, I am not going back to the TARDIS to wait! I have come this far!" He just looked at me. " Of course not, why would I tell you to do that? That's the Doctor's thing, no, you are defiantly coming. I was going to tell you to give me your revolver." He put out his hand, and I smiled weakly in return. I dug in my pocket( I say "dug" because Granddad had made my trench coat pockets bigger on the inside on my 18th), and pulled out the revolver he had forced me to carry with me.

" And, remember, I'm your brother: call me 'Sherlock'!"

We caught up to the Doctor, who was pointing his sonic in the air. " Oh, you people and your guns!" he said, catching a glimpse of the gun that Dad was putting in his pocket. " You know how much I hate them."

" No," Dad replied. " I left my sonic _screwdriver _at home in my drawer, where it belongs, and going by the weight of the case, we'll need a _weapon_ at some point, not a probe!" It was the Doctor's turn to roll his eyes. He closed his sonic, and it's green light stopped glowing. He put it up to his ear and sighed. " I'm not picking up many life forms... anywhere..."

Suddenly, Dad took out his phone, witch had beeped. As he predicted, a picture came up, and I was more than half expecting to hear the Greenwich Pips. It was a picture of an ancient building, probably a temple, I thought.

" This is where he wants us to go?" the Doctor questioned, staring at the odd building.

" Obviously! Know where it is?" Dad asked.

As they talked for a few moments, I was content to look around;even after three years of cases Universe-wide, I was still intrigued by planets I had never seen before. I scanned the dark purple bushes, and saw something shiny. I picked it up. As a result, my hearts skipped several beats each.

It was a long, metal rod. On the end, it had a piece that looked very similar to a mixer.

" Guys," I squeaked. They didn't hear me.

" Guys!" I repeated louder.

" Sh, Violet, I'm trying to think, hang on a minute!" the Doctor said.

" No, it's important: I don't think the Vinvocci deserted."

" What do you mean?" Dad asked. They both faced me now.

" I think they where exterminated," I said, showing them the laser.

I could practically hear four hearts stop beating. The Doctor was now very pale.

" Go back to the TARDIS, now," he commanded. " Your father and I can take care of this."

" Granddad, no, I'm not-"

" I am not having my granddaughter killed by a Dalek, not on my watch!"

" Doctor, calm down. It is more than likely that they have left by now," Dad interjected. " Best we keep an eye on her, anyway." He smiled at me, but I knew he was quite scared as well. Daleks where on the list of things never mentioned in the Holmes household, but I did my own research, and I was scared as well. The Doctor seemed furious.

" On your head be it!" he said, jabbing a finger in Dad's direction. He led the way again. Dad and I followed in silence.

As we walked through the empty streets, it became clearer and clearer that Daleks had been there. Every building, easily recognized as homes and businesses, had been near obliterated. Marks only seen after fires, explosions, lasers where seen; all signs of unnatural and devastating power where present. What was once a magnificent planet was now a desolation.

I moved closer to Dad, tempted to hold his hand. My hears ached for the poor race that was once thriving only days ago. My thoughts must have shown on my face, because Dad sighed and said,

" Just think of the task at hand." Like I said before, Sherlock Holmes had gotten married, and was a great husband and father, but sentiment could still be a foreign concept. Being my mother's daughter made me mad at that part of him; having part of my mother's attitude made me a girl with strong emotions. However, also being my father's daughter, a true Holmes, I was able to put away those emotions if need be.

I shut my eyes for a moment. I found the door in my brain labeled " Sentiment" and firmly slammed it, because I knew Dad was right- caring, right now, would not help. I reopened my eyes, and my mind felt clear; my pulse returned to normal.

We reached the centre of the city, an odd looking place. The surrounding buildings showed signs of previously being lavish- the unburned areas where silver in color, the height of the buildings could be compared to Earth's skyscrapers. But the building in front of us was a humble temple- well, humble in comparison to the buildings surrounding it. To be blunt, it was huge, like an Earth Cathedral. However, its worn stones must have shied in comparison to its once glorious neighbors. This was a reminder that sentiment was not only rampant on Earth, but in every crevice of Creation.

That was not the only entity out of place, however. In front of the temple was a small, green, humanoid figure with spikes on her skin- a young, female Vinvocci. She was in traditional Vinvocci dress(imagine old German and 20th century American, if you can) she stood a half a foot shorter than myself, had tears in her eyes, and had few burn marks on her skin. _Middle class family, 10 years old, had a brother who loved her dearly,oh... escaped, no, _extracted_ from the worst of the fighting... probably the last of her kind... oh, no..._

Grandfather, father and daughter all thought the same thing at the same time, and ran to her. Though the Doctor had a good head start, I was the first to reach her. Glad the TARDIS was there to translate(my own translator was damaged), I asked, " Are you alright?" She did not respond. I did a quick scan with my own sonic, and seeing she was not too seriously injured, I knelt down to hug her. The tactic of comforting children _before_ interrogating them was a tactic my father never really mastered, and as my grandfather was scanning the surrounding area, I took it upon myself to do so.

I reached out my arms to her, but she just shook her head and backed off. She had fear and trepidation in her eyes, but there was also a strong warning look. At first, I could not understand why, but then she turned her head, and I saw what my slow brain had not noticed before: the earpeice.

" Doctor, Sherlock, over here, quick!" I said, waving my arms. The rushed over, and I stood, backing away from the Vinvocci. " He defiantly wants to be personal, look at the earpiece- this is 'The Great Game' all over again, like you said!" I whispered this, because I knew, like in the case Uncle John labeled as 'The Great Game', He could hear through His victim's ears, and I was not supposed to be there.

Dad looked at the Vinvocci, then worriedly at his father, then to me, then back to the Vinvocci, a look of fury replacing the worry.

" Is John safe?" he demanded.

" Hello, Sherlock. How nice of you to finally show up," the girl recited through tears, pausing ever so often for what to say next.

" Answer me!"

" Patience, Sherlock, patience. You'll see your friend if you complete this."

" Why are you doing this- oh, no, don't tell me: You're bored, just like Moriarty was! Can no one be original?"

" Why ruin perfection?"

" You call this perfect?" the Doctor roared. " You sent a fleet of Daleks to destroy and innocent race to get to us?"

" Hello, Doctor. I didn't send the Daleks. They came here looking for you of their own accord- pity they where only a few days late."

" What are you doing to make her say this? What's your threat, I see you where original enough to use semtex," Dad said, shushing the Doctor.

" Microexplosives. Made this feisty (censored) take them, then sent her your way to say 'hi'. Now, then- go through there, follow the questions, just yell the answers, I'll hear you. You have 42 minutes." I did not understand- I looked at my father. Behind his icy eyes, I knew the gears of his brain where rapidly spinning, searching for an answer. The Doctor, however, seemed to understand perfectly, and seemed shaken.

" How do you know about that?" he demanded.

The Vinvocci answered, still crying, " I have eyes and ears everywhere. 42 minutes, Doctor. The clock is ticking."

Dad and I still quite confused, the Doctor led us into the temple. " How could He have- the survivors... If he murdered them afterward, I SWEAR..." The Doctor was rambling angrily to himself, and gesticulating wildly- a sign all knew as agitation.

" Doctor, care to explain?" I asked still whispering so He couldn't hear me. " What does He mean by following questions, and what's with the creepy temple?" I asked. He turned around and looked at us.

" He is getting very clever, and _very_ personal. He's playing guilt-trip now, a game I have been fighting every day for centuries. How he knows that...

When I was still Ten, my friend and I were on this exploration ship that was hurtling towards a sun. There was only one way to the control room, as my friend found out- I was... busy...

She had to answer random trivia questions to get in through each door in time, one passage to another, in 42 minutes, or... well..."

My head was spinning as I filled in the gaps. We had to solve pointless riddles, one by one to get to the centre, and do, goodness knows what. I knew, going by the M.O of our enemy, they'd be hard riddles. My father stared blankly at his shoulder, a sign I knew as deep, sad, worried contemplation. I no longer had to force myself to whisper- fear took control of my vocal chords.

" And... if we don't complete it in time?"

" Then we all burn." my father said, his face expressionless, his voice flat. " All" meaning Dad, Granddad, Uncle John, the last Vinvocci, probably my family, and of course, me.

" But, this is a temple, yes? There should not be many doors!" I said with as much false hope as possible.

"But don't you see?" Dad said with an edge of irritation to his voice, " This isn't a temple! It's a crypt!"


	4. The Clock Ticks

A crypt. Filled with dead Vinvocci. We were walking through catacombs, having to solve useless puzzles, or else the whole Holmes family, probably the whole Watson family, the last of a great race, and the long- time defender of the entire Universe would die. So much death was surrounding us, and I felt it penetrating my soul. I knew somewhere, Death himself was laughing- I could only shiver.  
Seeing that it had sunk in, the Doctor turned on his heel, and led the way. I had taken off my purple woolen scarf some time ago, as the planet of the Vinvocci was a warm one, but now I drew my coat around myself. Of course it was cold on top of everything else, why not? My father reached his hand out, and I gave him a torch- not only was it getting darker, but as we descended into the catacombs, an eerie fog rolled in. I had no idea how that could happen, but as we were on an alien planet, I thought nothing of it. It was still creepy though. Suddenly, I heard the whiz of robotic wheels- Dalek, my mind screamed.  
I spun around in a quick scan with my screwdriver, relived beyond expression to not pick anything up. Though it was a quick and quiet scan, as my father had taught me, the men in front of me still turned around, the purple light cast from the bulb in my sonic giving me away. They both raised their eyebrows.  
" Sorry!" I whispered. " Thought I heard something! Must have been my boots scraping against the stone!" They looked incredulously at me, not buying it, but walked on. My dad still held back and walked next to me again. Calm down! I reprimanded myself, or else the inside of the TARDIS was the only action was the only action I was going to get. I immediately felt guilty. I looked over at my father. He glanced at me from the corner of his eye. He whispered.  
" Violet-"  
" I know, Sherlock ' Distance yourself, think at the task at hand, and use logic. Do not let sentiment get the best of you, and solve the problem, then let the emotions come later if necessary'-"  
" Shut up!" Dad said, almost speaking in his normal baritone voice. " Sorry, it's just- the Doctor is right, you are too much like me. That is not what I was going to say, though it would help if you distanced yourself right now. I was going to say that I understand what you are thinking. You usually compose yourself quite well for a case, and I am proud of you. But this is not a normal case- this is John Watson, and you have every reason to be scared.  
Violet, I have made three vows in my life; the latter two, you know of- to love and protect your mother until death, and to raise you to my best ability. But the first vow I ever made was to protect John Watson and his family. And I promise you again, we will find him and return home safely. Alright?" he said, fixing the bangs that had fell in front of my eyes.  
Needless to say, I was touched. As I said before, Dad gained a little sentiment after I was born, but he hadn't had to reassure me this much since I was a teenager. Knowing him, that meant he was reassuring himself as well. I nodded and smiled. My father and I were hurting in side. He especially had always been a man who was hurting inside, who numbed the pain instead of treating it. And now without Uncle John or Mum to comfort him, just two more people who clammed up emotionally, he didn't know how to react. But we did what we always did- we marched on.  
Suddenly, a metallic wall slid in front of us, an inch away from the Doctor's nose. He and I immediately whipped out our sonic screwdrivers, green and purple lights bouncing off the polished metal, to unlock it- but in vain; it was dead bolted.  
" It begins here," Dad said. Indeed, there was a screen, and a paragraph popped up as soon as we approached. The Doctor and Dad stood side by side to read it, and I had to go on my very tiptoes to look over Dad's shoulder(The Doctor is taller than Dad -looking over Dad's shoulder is tough enough with the five inch height discrepancy!) to read the first riddle.  
This thing all things devours;  
Birds, beasts, trees, flowers;  
Gnaws iron, bites steel;  
Grinds hard stones to meal;  
Slays king, ruins town,  
And beats mountain down.  
It took less than two seconds for Dad and the Doctor to both yell, "Time!" with an added "Obviously!" from my father. I would have yelled it out too, if I could. The wall slid back, and the Doctor smiled widely, and I could almost laugh. The Hobbit? I thought. Really? Two geniuses, and He asks a question from The Hobbit? Two Timelords, and he asks a question about Time? Maybe He wasn't another Moriarty after all!  
We walked through the opening, and the Doctor moaned: there were three passages, all seemingly identical at first! Nothing to go on and- oh!  
" Right path, right, Daddy?" I said, smiling, looking at Dad. He smirked back- I could see the pride in his eyes from the quickness of my deductions. I don't know why he was so proud, I had been Consulting for three years, and Deducing since I was three, but I digress.  
" Obviously," he said anyway, taking the lead now. The Doctor ran up to him and I. " What are you doing?"  
" Trying to make a pace and get this stupid trial over, obviously!" my father returned.  
" How did you know which way to go?"  
" Really, Doctor, even Vi-" he caught himself. " It was quite obvious."  
" How?"  
" Really easy!"  
" Sherlock, tell me!"  
" Plain as the nose on a-"  
" Sherlock, slow down, now! If you get this wrong, if we have to back track, we all die, John dies!" the Doctor said, pulling his son's shoulder towards himself. The younger of the two men clenched his jaw inhaled deeply, then exhaled- a sign that he was really irritated with the slowness of his father, yet he did not quite want to disrespect him... that much.  
" ' Let the answers lead the way'- meaning: the answer to the last riddle in context to the wording of the riddle will give you a clue as to which path to take. The last answer was 'Time', in context- 'Time ends all things'. Therefore-"  
" Take the oldest route," the Doctor finished. " But you didn't scan it- oh, I see, very clever. The curvature and placement of stones gave it away, very good, Sherlock, very good. Next time, though, tell me!"  
We continued on in this way for some time. However, not all of them were as easy. The first few were rather easy, and the choices between paths were quite quick to deduce, to the point that the Doctor and Dad were mentally timing each other.( I could tell from their eyes- we do that a lot in the Holmes family, whether it's between Dad and myself, or Uncle Mycroft, or when the Doctor comes over, it happens without fail.) But they ended up much harder, and time was running out fast.  
At the fifteenth wall, when the Doctor was trying to figure out the riddle, our torch went out. I felt my sonic being taken from my hand, and I almost Judo flipped whoever dared touch me without permission, but when I realized it was he who taught me how to Judo flip in the first place who snatched the screwdriver, I calmed down.  
Dad soniced the torch back to life(" I could have done it!" " Yes, but I was the one holding the torch, it only made sense! Logic, Violet, logic!"), and we could see again. The Doctor was still in place re-re-reading the riddle, as if nothing happened- to him, nothing had. In the meanwhile, Dad turned to me.  
" How much time do we have left?" he asked. I popped open my Fob watch and sighed heavily.  
" Ten, little more, maybe." His jaw clenched again. From out of nowhere, I heard a man's groan. It was not my father's, nor my grandfathers, yet the voice sounded vaguely familiar. Dad turned his head, as if he heard it too, then snapped it back to its original position. He was looking concerned, very concerned, like he did when he was getting something wrong, his very senses, maybe?Then his eyes brightened.  
" 17, Doctor, the answer is 17! Seventeen!" he yelled, and the wall slid open. Then, to our horror, we were not faced by three passages- we were faced by twenty.


	5. Fear Itself

That was the first time I truly felt despair- that is when my hearts dropped further, and all faith I had in anyone- the Doctor, my father, especially myself- was lost. This was the first moment when I felt like a lost child- in fact, we all did.

The answer was obvious, of course- in context to the last question, the last answer was 17, so we had to find the seventeenth passage. But to find the seventeenth passage in a circular room of 20 total- that was the hard part. Actually, mathematically, that was the impossible part. As soon as they shook out of the initial shock, Dad and the Doctor began to rack their brains over which door to take. Dad recited parts of the riddle aloud as the Doctor paced back and forth.

I felt useless. I hadn't even read the whole riddle in the first place, and like my father, I was never liked word puzzles. I looked at my watch for something to do- 10 minutes left now. Time kept ticking. There was nothing we could do! Even if we used my Vortex Manipulator to hang out in some time period as we dissected the riddle, we tan the risk of returning too late- the Vortex could spit us 20 minutes later, or in a different location all together if we were not careful; it has happened to me before, and even to the Doctor in a functioning TARDIS- because Time kept ticking.

_OH!_ My mind started to race; I could feel the bits of lost information in my subconscious connecting, becoming conscious, and I thanked God for the amazing complexity that was the sentient being's brain.

I ran over to Dad. "Sherlock!" I whispered loudly, tugging his sleeve, ripping him out of his Mind Palace. "What?" he hissed back.

" The riddle- it was the twelfth one we solved!" I exclaimed. He stared at me, as if I was mad; for once in my life, I had won Deductions. I held up my watch, and lined up the XII to the passage we just came from. Then he got it.

He picked me up- literally, swept me off my feet, like he used to when I was a toddler- and hugged me, planting a kiss on my forehead. He put me down, then whispered, " Violet, my little genius! Oh, I love you! What a blind idiot- tell me I am not going mad!"

" No, Dad, you're not mad- well, I did win Deductions, so, maybe..."

" Shut up," he said, smirking. He went over and told the Doctor, careful to make it sound like he figured out- we knew our enemy was listening.

The Doctor's eyes brightened; his jaw unclenched, and he ran over to me, and kissed my forehead as well. We then proceeded through the Seventeenth door.

See, for those of you who didn't follow(I don't know if any of you could or not- no, sorry. Emma* is giving me The Look- apparently I do, in fact, have to explain my logic) the answer, again, was in the question. Or, shall I say, "questions".

In the last riddle, one of the main components was Time. When I had my mental rant about the cruelty of Time, I was brought back to the first riddle- the answer in that one being, once again, Time. We had just passed through the 12th passage(that fact being provided by my subconscious)- the number that dictated Earth hours on a clock.

One of the phrases I was brought up on was, " The Universe is hardly ever so lazy as to permit a coincidence,"- Time came up too often for my comfort to be without meaning. So, if the last passage is 12, the whole circular room is to be thought of in a clockwise fashion, obviously. If the passage we passed through was 12, the one to the immediate right was 1, the next was 2, and so on.

We ran now, our legs pumping at full speed, for we know we were on the right path; it was widening into a main area- the Centre. Unfortunately, as the path widened, the alien fog thickened. In one hand, my father held a torch, his gun hand ready in his pocket- the doctor had also taken out a torch from the depth of his pocket, the fog was that bad. I was the only on with a weapon- my knife- drawn. The adrenaline pumping through my veins made it impossible for me not to hold something, and a sonic can't do much against many enemies, so the knife, however small, would do.

We finally reached a large, circular room, about 200 feet in diameter. The walls were lined with Vinvocci bones, which of course helped our tense mood. In the centre was an alter- apparently, the Vinvocci were into ancestral worship before they were revolutionized by science.

On the face of the alter was a screen with red writing. We three all ran over to read it.

"_What makes you afraid"_ it said.

We stared blankly at each other. What made us afraid?

"That's not a riddle!" the Doctor exclaimed.

"It could be wording, Doctor, remember-"

" What if it isn't, Sherlock, what if it isn't?" the Doctor returned. He was right. It was obviously a straight question, but the problem was the amount of possible answers.

The "Holmes" family was always hid our fears. Even back on Gallifrey, the Doctor says, his brothers and sisters were considered the fearless ones, right along with their friends, running through the rolling red hills until the Twin Suns set. But everyone is afraid of something.

At the moment, our shared fear was time running out. I could feel my watch ticking against my chest. We feared the death of Uncle John. A man's scram reverberated in my mind so loudly, I could have sworn my physical ears heard it. I feared the return of the Daleks, on top of all of that. But what to answer?

And so, we paced. We had little time left to think, but think we must. Three generations of geniuses; three generations of saving lives; three generations of solving mysteries daily, and all we could do was pace. But that was our mistake.

When the Doctor paces, he doesn't pace in a small circle or line, like my father and myself- he paces helter-skelter, using as much possible space as the area provides. As Dad and I ambled in the same area, the Doctor was on the opposite side of the Centre. Suddenly, a Plexiglas wall started to slide from the ceiling to the floor. The Doctor tried to get to our side, running as fast as his legs would allow, but he was too late. I hadn't pulled out my sonic out in time, nor had he his. He was stuck.

Dad and I ran over to this wall of separation, pounding on our side of the plastic, the Doctor on his. My eyes stung, and I had to wipe them furiously. We had come this far to find a friend ripped from our lives, only to have another ripped from right in front of us. The door was on our side, but it too had closed. We had only seven minutes left.

Father slammed on the wall again with both of his fists, before the Doctor, still audible, thankfully, yelled, "Separation!", head pointed upward. For a second, my hearts leaped- he was right! Separation had to be the right answer, our joint fear; separation from Uncle John; separation from Gallifrey, brought about by the Daleks; and now the separation from each other- but nothing happened. The door did not open. The wall did not slide up. We were not re-united.

The Doctor slumped against the wall, fighting tears, and I joined him. Dad sat next to me, actually sliding his hand into mine. "Game over," Granddad said, defeated. . My father- Mr. Punchline, the man who would contradict anyone- said nothing, and just stared blankly into space. This was not the worst of my fear. It got worse. Because, before I would hear a sob from myself; before I could hear another sigh from my Granddad, or a snif from Daddy; before any of that, the noise of my nightmares- our nightmares- ripped through the sorrowful silence; the battle cry of the most hateful, the most hat_ed_ race in all of Creation: "EX-TER-MIN-ATE!"

Our eyes widened; our hearts pounded; our palms sweated; our minds raced. How could we have not seen it sooner? Where was it coming from? Was it alone? Who had sent it? How long did we have to live? But none of the questions mattered- all that mattered to me was what I was seeing, and _who_ I was never going to see again.

From the far right corner of the room, from out of the fog and the shadows, came the Dalek. It rolled towards my Grandfather, who moved backwards. He had no plan. Time and time again, he reminded us that Daleks did not negotiate.

The Dalek shot a beam, and, remarkably, Granddad dodged. He took out his sonic, looking for some way to use it- in vain, of course. My brave Granddad, defender of the Universe, the Oncoming Storm, was trapped, fighting a Dalek, and all his son and I could do was watch. No longer did I care to look strong, for I was not. I cried.

* You'll find out who Emma is later on, but I'll give you a clue- think Harry Potter


	6. Face Your Fears

I slumped against the wall again, my knees failing me, my Transport* falling subject to the horror playing our in front of my eyes. Granddad ran over to the wall, out of breath.

"I'm fine! I am- woah!" here, he jumped over a low shot laser. I suppressed a scream, and Dad put his arm around me. I suspect part of that was to keep me quiet, but one could not deny the look of utter despair in his eyes.

" Be strong!" Granddad said, placing his hand on the glass, nose touching. "Figure out the riddle, find John, and get home!"

" But-"

" No 'buts' now. Shh..." He whispered, smiling, kindness in his ancient blue eyes. What a man! He was crying and so close do death, yet he still had room in his large hearts to comfort his granddaughter. " Do your old granddad a favor, eh? Don't become bitter. The Universe is still wonderful! Grieve, when this is over, but not for too long, and remember- the bad moments do not spoil the good ones. Okay? Remember the good ones, for me, Violet. Sherlock," he said, turning to his son, his voice louder now. " Take care of the family, okay? If River comes looking-" but he never continued his sentence. A beam hit him square in the back when he was turned towards us. All of his insides where visible for a second, glowing blue, his face and body contorted in agonizing pain.

" NO!" Dad and I both screamed, not caring if He could hear. I remember pounding on the glass, tears streaming down my face. I fell to my knees, my father to his. The world spun around me. My gut ached; my soul screamed; my eyes stung. All we could see clearly was a fallen hero- the Doctor- dead on the floor. I waited to see that gold light glistening around his body, the Residual Energy I dreamed about as a child- but when none came, I turned to my father.

"Why isn't he Regenerating?" I asked, my voice cracking. He did not answer. " Daddy? Sherlock? Why isn't he Regenerating?" I asked again, a bit louder now. He had been shot by Daleks before, I knew that much- why wasn't he changing now? Why wasn't he popping up, fiddling with his new hair style, cursing his non-ginger state, claiming that bow ties where not, in fact, cool? Why didn't anybody tell me anything!

Dad was going to open his mouth, when another noise ripped through the room- a howl. From another corner of the room, came a huge, glowing, dog-like creature. We jumped up, Dad whipping out my gun, me, my knife. At first I thought it was a hound- a gigantic, glowing hound, how very impossible, I know- but it was worse. It was a gigantic, glowing _alien_ hound, with spikes in its fur(evidently, a native Vinvocci species), and it looked hungry.

Father did not hesitated to shoot at it. His shaking hands caused him to miss, and he shot again. He hit the beast dead on, and it growled, louder, but nothing became of it. He emptied four more bullets, each one causing the very room to shake- but to no effect towards the dog. We had no plan, no time, no way to get out, and no hope. We had nothing but each other.

We looked at each other, and, with our mental conversations we learned to have via eye contact, we mutually agreed that this was it. For once, the game was over, with no new players, no more moves. We sat down, our backs to a Dalek and a Hero, face to face, father to daughter, waiting for the Hound to attack. Our enemy had found our weaknesses, and played his cards like a professional.

" I'm sorry, Ginevera," Daddy said, his baritone voice cracking, still trying to whisper with what futile hope he had left.

" It's not your-"

" But it is!" he hissed. His blue eyes widened in sadness and frustration. I have only seen the man cry about twice- this was the first time. " If I had kept a closer eye on everything- yes, I saw this coming- John wouldn't have been kidnapped, I wouldn't have needed help! The Doctor would still be alive, saving the Universe, which will burn without him, and you'd still have a future, with your work, and our family, and for that I am sorry, because it _is_ my fault!" he said, wiping his eyes furiously, and picking up my hand.

I sniffed, but still smiled. That man. That deep, complex man. " Beating yourself up, even until death, no wonder Uncle John always got pissed at you. So predictable, Dad. Father, mine, listen to me!" I said, embracing him. "I still love you, Daddy!"

He needed to hear this. Most people in my family did, but especially he. He and the Doctor were both men who constantly gave themselves, sorry to use the term, but it is true- the constantly gave themselves mental Hell. My father was always a freak as a child- always _too_ intelligent, always _too_ knowing, and that reputation followed him on Earth. He shut himself to emotions, told himself caring wasn't an advantage, so that it he didn't hurt himself further. When people who actually loved him came into his life, he slowly got the concept out of his head, but still held onto it.

As a little kid, the same happened to me. I was picked on, I was beat up sometimes, and so, I told myself that caring didn't matter. I never told my parents my thoughts about it- they might have guessed, but never let on. Then two Doctors came along. One of them whisked me off in his TARDIS, and showed me how beautiful the Universe was. The other decided to talk to me in his flat with a cup of tea while _Harry Potter_ played in the background- both ways worked. And while I still shut down my sentiment like my father taught me to during mind puzzles, I don't do it all the time. And it helps.

It was my turn to pass it on. As I hugged my father for the last time, I told him, " I still love you. The whole family loves you more than you shall ever know. I can't let you die without you knowing that you are loved by so many and by so much, and by no one more than us!" I used the words of an old friend once found in the mind meld session of Granddad. They fit. My father held me out at arms length, and for once, his cold eyes were warm; for once, they held no restraint; for once, they held peace.

We sat there, waiting fr the Hound. It hadn't attacked us yet- probably weighing how it could kill us off easiest. My levels of fear rose again- exponentially. That's all there was in that moment- pure, concentrated, unadulterated, fear. All hope had died. All I could do was pray the same prayer of protection in my head, and even that was hard. My hand was drenched now, not just in my sweat, but in my father's as well. He looked at me, his eyes filled with new dread, and clasped my hand, as if letting go meant immanent death.

" This is exactly how I imagined it," I whispered again, my head on his shoulder, my body shaking. " Back in Sunday School, when they described Hell- this is how I imagined it." I don't quite know why I said it, it certainly did not help my father's mood- but I said it, because that is what it felt like in that moment- Hell.

My father stirred. " Say that again," he said, slowly, his voice less tense now. I could not see the use, nor could I follow his reasoning, but I did as he said.

" This is how I imagined Hell in Sunday School-"

" Noe, before that- your exact words, Violets, think!" he said, quickly. I didn't know where he was going with this, but I knew he _was_ going somewhere. If it meant some hope...

" I said, ' This is exactly how I imagined it... oh, my gosh!" I said, a smile crossing my face. " The Hound... fear... why didn't we-"

" See it sooner?" Dad filled, smiling fully now, standing and helping me to my feet. " Fear and stimulus: this is why I always tell you to detach yourself 'What makes you afraid?', we read it wrong! Not what causes one to be scared, but what physically triggers the 'fight of flight response'!"

"And the fog is the same chemical as used in Dewitt's Hollow all those years ago, activated by our fear and stimulus throughout the whole trial!" I completed. " Wow. That's brilliant! Oops, insensitive, sorry..."

" No- what, of course it's brilliant, not very original, but clever! How long do we have left?" Dad asked. I smiled. "One minute and 30 seconds, just in time!"

" The Fog!" Dad yelled. Immediately, the door slid open, the plexiglass wall slid up. The Doctor, however, was still on the floor.

" Dad?" I asked, my fear coming back, He looked at me. We were both chem. Graduates**; we both knew the formula of such concentration would be in our systems for at least 72 hours. Reading Uncle John's blog, I knew that the fog had nasty side effects- homicidal and suicidal thoughts, major organ damage, heavy depression, death- it was all guaranteed- if you were human.

" What, do you think I have anchovies, nuts, and ginger beer, tucked away in my pockets?" Dad snapped. " We'll Detoxify later- yes, I know you've wanted to extract poison the 'Timelord way' as an experiment for ages, but for now, just cover your nose with your scarf, we have more important things to do... then I'll teach you how," he added with a devilish grin. I did as he said, then asked, in sign language now, as I could not whisper,

_"The lasers, Dalek, Hound? Simulations?"_

_" Obviously!"_ he signed back, checking the Doctor's vitals.

_" Doctor is just passed out, then."_

_" Thankfully"_

_" We can still transport him with my Vortex Manipulator?"_

_" Yes."_

_" And the little girl?"_

_" What about her?"_

_" Really?"_

_" Joking. Just get us out of here, then we'll get her to the Time Machine***"_ I nodded. I took my Fob watch off from my neck, and held it out. Dad punched in the co-ordinance, then placed it out in front of him. I placed the Doctor's limp hand on the VM, then my own hand on his, and we were sucked into the Vortex.

*Sherlock Holmes refers to his body as his Transport- it would makes sense that his daughter would too.

** Violet is 21 years old- how can she be out of college solving crimes at 18 and a Chem. Grad? 1) She skipped first grade. 2) It's a Timey-Wimey thing- she was solving crimes in space whilst getting a degree on Earth, because she can.

*** Sherlock said Time Machine instead of TARDIS, because it would take to long to sign out T-A-R-D-I-S, and longer to sign Time And Relative Dimensions In Space


	7. Cleanse

We landed outside of the crypt, the bright orange sun blinding us momentarily. My father stretched his long, skinny limbs. I remembered at that moment that he had on and off Rheumatism in that form, depending on the decade, apparently.

" How in Rassilon's name do you travel by that blasted thing all the time?" he said, referring to the Vortex Manipulator, and how it cramps the user.

" One gets used to it," I said, cracking my neck. Once my eyes got used to bright light, I looked down at my watch- only 8:00 on Earth! What had felt like an agonizing week in the crypt had been less than an hour-23 left to find Uncle John. That, at least was a bit of a comfort. I looked down at my feet where my grandfather was laying. The comfort was gone. The anxiety was back. The formula started to kick in.

" Dad-"

" Sherlock!"

" Sherlock, sorry, what are we going to do with the Doctor? And the girl, where's the girl? How are we going to get them to the TARDIS-"

" Shut up! Can you just shut up and let me think, for a moment?" he snapped, his eyes glowering. I was so shocked, I could not retaliate. He continued.

" Get the girl, then come back here. I'll see if I can wake up this one here, if not, we'll just use the confounded VM again," he rattled off, starting to try and wake up the Doctor. I couldn't see what Mr. Tetchy's problem was, but I went ahead and did what he said anyway- seemed like a good idea.

I went to get the girl, who thankfully was still alive, and no longer wearing an earpiece. She backed away at first, and I turned around to see what she was looking at, my mind screaming DANGER at every shadow- but when my scan came up as nothing, I realized it was only me.

" No, no it's fine! It's fine, little one, I'm here to help!" I said, my voice cracking from all the whispering. She stepped forward, and I put my arms out to hug the poor thing. Stupid girl- trusting a stranger, after all she had been through. Whatever- it worked. I put on my "motherly" face, and she seemed to calm down a bit.

" What's your name, then?" I asked, initiating Step One: Contact. She mumbled something. " Hm?" I asked, trying very hard not to lose my patience.

" Arisonta," she whispered.

" That's a nice name. My name is Violet. I'm here to help. Arisonta, I need you to come with me, now, okay?"

" No!" She said, breaking away from my arms, using the spikes on her skin to an advantage. She ran away, but not quick enough-my legs where still longer. I grabbed her arm again, perhaps a little to firmly. " Let me go!" she screamed. I brought her closer to my person.

" Arisonta! Arisonta, listen to me, I swear, I'm here to help!"

" That's what the other man said!" she yelled, still trying to break away. I yanked her closer to me, and held both of her wrists, ignoring the pain shooting into my palms.

" Sh! Say nothing about the other man! If he can still hear you, he can still hurt you, and he will if you describe him in front of anyone, and we don't want that happening, do we?" She then settled down, and started cry smaller tears. " You're not like him, right?" she said, staring at me. _Well, obviously, or you'd be dead by now_, I thought, but instead I said, " No, of course not. Whoever did this is a very bad person, and I'm here to help you." Step two: Trust.

" Promise?" she said, as if promises meant anything in the Universe. But as they generally do to children, I said, " Cross my hearts." She smiled, then stared blankly at me. " Hearts? You have two hearts? You're not a- you _can't be_ a-"

" Smart girl!" I said, actually impressed. Most species didn't get that reference- of course, there where plenty of other races that had two hearts besides Timelords, but when I said " Cross my heart_s_," most people just took it as a lisp, or something. " You're right. Come on- I want you to meet some friends of mine- some more of us." I put my hand out for her to hold so she didn't stray off, and taking it, she followed me back to where the Doctor and Dad where.

When she first saw them, she took a few steps back, and I had to turn around just to make sure my arm didn't come off.

" What's wrong?"

" Who are they?" she asked, her blue eyes widening further.

" The one in the trench coat is Sherlock Holmes, and the other on the ground is the Doctor... ah... I see he wasn't revitalized yet..."

" Wait- _the _Sherlock Holmes?and _the _Doctor?"she said, her eyes now so wide, I was afraid they where going to fall out of their sockets.

" Yes-how did? Oh, you've been to The Library, haven't you?" I asked, looking into what I now saw as her _intelligent_ blue eyes. The Library is a planet that is, as its name suggests, the biggest library in the Universe- every book ever published can be found there, so it's no surprise that a few of Conan Doyle's editions of _The Strand_ made it.

" But Sherlock Holmes is fiction! I've heard of the Doctor from my mother, but Holmes and Watson are fiction from Earth's history-"

" Well, apparently, not!" This was wasting time we didn't have- I needed her to trust us, and continue the case, so we could find the Watson that was _very_ real, and about to die.

" Look, that's Sherlock Holmes- he's a Timelord, my father, in fact, see the similarities? And you're about to ask where Watson is- good question- we're looking for him, which is why Dad asked for my and the Doctor's help. The Doctor is _his_ father- yes, there where a few more escapees of the last Great Time War, I see you've read that too. Now, don't tell Sherlock Holmes that I told you any of this, just stay quiet most of the time, please, because we're really stressed out right now, and we need you to be a good little girl, alright?" I said, looking at her intently. She seemed to get the point, and we walked down to the men.

" Ah, finally!" Dad said, not even attempting to mask his irritation when we came back, " See you have the girl now."

" And I see that the Doctor refuses to wake up, perfect," I said sighing.

" Obviously! And what did I tell you about keeping our relationship a secret?" he snapped, still futility trying to wake up his father, whose face was now very red from healthy slaps.

" How did-"

" Oh, come on! Did I teach you nothing, Violet, think! Look at her, she's staring at me like I'm some sort of anomaly! Obviously, you told her who and what I was, and she still can't quite believe it, because going by the way she's staring, she's a bit of a fan! We need you to trust us," he said, now speaking to Aristonta, a tiny bit nicer, " So I'll prove to you I am the real deal. You're mother and father were scientists, you played a string instrument- what is it on this planet?a luteri- and I'm afraid Mummy was right, you should sit closer to the light when you read, especially when you indulge in the small print books you enjoy. I could go on, but we're running out of time. Remember the Irregulars?" He said, holding out the TARDIS key for her to grab. She nodded, still a little dazed that her show off of a hero was, in fact, real, then grabbed the key.

" What do you need me to do with this, Mr. Holmes?" she asked, a little bit to excited. I interjected to save time... and to prove a point...

" See that hill? On the top of it, you'll find a big blue box- it's his TARDIS," I said, pointing to the Doctor. " You know what that is, don't you? Good, so don't be afraid when you see that it's bigger on the inside. Just unlock the door, leave it open, and sit down in the first chair near the console- you can't miss it. That will help a lot- 'Mr. Holmes' and I have to carry our friend here all the way up. Go ahead!" I said, sending her off, and she ran at full speed, key in hand.

I turned around to my father, who was tying the Doctor's legs together with his blue scarf.

" Get his legs," he said, grabbing his fathers underarms. I lifted my grandfather's legs near the crook of his knee, and we started up the hill. Now, my father and I are both quite strong for our builds, as is evident by the fact that we both use martial arts to save our lives during cases more than we should, but that did not denote the fact that we were carrying about 160 pounds(72kg) of deadweight with gravity going against us, wearing clothes made for London weather! By the time we had finally got up the hill, we were drenched in sweat. I thanked God that the TARDIS had her own cooling system.

We carried the Doctor into the TARDIS, then laid him on the floor. Aristonta was there in the chair, eyes wide as ever, taking everything in. She seemed to be fine, so she could wait- the Doctor, however, could not. I checked his pulses again- fine, both hearts still beating, though a little slow.

" Tea," Dad said, taking over the check.

" What?" I said. How could he want tea at a time like this?

" Free radicals and tannins, stupid! The only thing that wakes him up after stuff like this! Go get it!" he snapped again. He had never been this much of a jerk before, not while I was around- and he had never called me stupid before. Seemed like Aristonta was in for a rude awakening- her hero was not always the Victorian gentleman that was portrayed in _The Strand_. He was stressed out, granted, but it did not give him a reason to be such a complete and utter childish idiot that he was.

" Yes, Your Majesty!" I said, rising to get the tea for my grandfather.

I headed over to the TARDIS's kitchen, or, at least, in the general direction of where it was last time I was there. To my chagrin, Aristonta followed me.

" What is it?" I asked, trying my very best to keep my patience- she had, after all, lost her whole planet. We turned into the kitchen, and I grabbed the strongest black leaf tea I could find, and boiled the water.

" Well, Miss Violet, if I can ask, what's wrong with you and Mr. Holmes?" she asked sweetly, hardly looking at me.

" What do you mean- what-"

" Sorry, I mean- I know Dr. Watson is missing, and I'm sorry, but I know that usually Mr. Holmes keeps his head cool, and I can only guess you do too, being his daughter and all, even under tough circumstances. Was it something in the Crypt?" she asked, getting quieter and quieter.

_Oh, my gosh!_ I thought. The poison! We had forgotten all about the poison in our rush to save the girl and the Doctor! That's why my brain was fuzzy, that's why Dad was being a royal pain in the behind- the fog took the very worst of a person, and amplified it. If the Doctor woke up the wrong way, I was afraid to see his worst.

" Oh, Aristonta, thank you! Oh, you are a genius!" I said, starting to run around, looking for the right enzymes for the detox. I needed to talk aloud, or else loose my clearness of head again.

" How old are you, 12? Good, good, you are very smart! Where are the bloody anchovies?" she looked at me curiously. " There was poison fog in the crypt that messes with your brain, makes you aggressive, depressed, homicidal even- I won't hurt you, I promise, I just have to keep my mind going at my normal pace, so talk to me, okay? You have to help me- this might save several people at once, so help me talk." She looked a bit shocked, poor thing, but she also seemed to understand, so she sat down where I gestured.

" What are you looking for, can I help?" she began.

" Timelords can detoxify poison from their bodies with certain ingredients, and I'm trying to find them. I would use my Mind Palace, but that takes concentration I don't think my weakening mind can handle. I don't think you could help, thanks for the offer. So, you thought Dad was fiction- how?" I asked, then looked at her, deducing it before she could say to give my mind something to do to keep it racing.

" I-"

" You sneaked out, didn't you? Of course you did. _Where does he keep the ginger beer- who drinks ginger beer, anyways? _So you sneaked out to The Library when things got too boring, and headed to the Earth section, specifically the Mystery Genre. You read as much of the cases from the 1800s as you could until your parents found you, then smuggled the book to your room- small print, like Dad said, you read it in the dark when no one could see. _Ah, there it is, and now for walnuts!_Your Mum found you out, then returned the book, banning you from Earth material for a while. You never saw the stuff from the 21st Century- most people only see one or the other, don't feel bad. Ah, I have all the ingredients now- hey? What's wrong?" The little girl had started to cry silently again. _Idiot,_ I thought to myself. _Don't mention the dead parents! _

" Hey- I'm so sorry-" I said, hugging her with my free arm.

" It's fine, just... I'm the last one. I'm the last-"

" Sh, sh! Calm down! You might not be! The Doctor thought he was the last of the Timelords, remember, until Dad got himself on the news! Maybe you'll find other people who escaped! Okay? Here," I said, handing her a random, but good looking, Jammy Dodger I found. She took it and started to chew- and even smile.

" We're going to bring you to the Shadow Proclamation- no, don't look scared, they're not that bad! They'll help you find a new home. But if you ever need anything else-" I gave her my card. I didn't know what else to do. She seemed to recognize the offer though, and smiled again. Just then, the tea finished boiling. I handed the four cups and the anchovies to Aristonta, and, grabbing the teapot, ginger beer, and walnuts, we headed back to the control room.

As soon as we reached Dad and the Doctor, Dad looked like he was going to snap again, but I hushed him.

" Dad, hang on! Think! The poison, remember? That's what's making us tetchy, and our brains fuzzy- the worst in us. We should detox soon- I do not want to see the worst in Granddad!" I said, starting to hand him the odd assortment of ingredients.

" Oh, for Goodness' sake!" Dad sighed. " Thank you, again- oh, but it wasn't you, was it? Thank you-"

" Aristonta," she said, beaming. I opened the cover of the teapot, and poured some out, waving it under the Doctor's nose, praying that this would work. To my joy, it did.

" Yowzah!" he yelled, his eyes popping open. I held him back from standing up completely.

" Hang on, Doctor, not too quick! You'll make yourself Regenerate! You were shot by a laser, and we all still have poison in our blood streams!" He looked down at his hands, then at Aristonta, then back at me, then Dad.

" Poison?" he asked, his voice grave. _Uh, oh. Please don't show your bad side..._

" You read the thing John wrote up about Dartmoor, " The Hounds of Baskerville," or whatever he called it?" Dad said. The Doctor nodded and closed his eyes.

" Time for Detox, then? I should go first if... well, I should just go first," the Doctor replied, opening the ginger beer. " What's your name?" he asked Aristonta, trying to use his fatherly voice. "What a pretty name. Sounds like something out of a fairy tale! Aristonta, you should stay back- this might get... smokey." She did as he said, and the Doctor started to chug the ginger beer. He shoved the walnuts I gave him into his mouth, then some of the anchovies.

He mimed out something that I couldn't quite understand.

" Something cold? Ice?" I asked. He shook his head vigorously, still working on chewing.

" Um... Wind? Ventilation?" He shook his head again, his eyes still wide and funny looking. He swallowed.

" How do you get Ventilation out of hand shaking?" he asked, angrily. _Certainly poisoned._

" I don't know, why don't you just-" Suddenly, the TARDIS started making alarm noises- very loud, 120 decibel loud, and bright alarms, flashing and beeping like the end of the world. And, to my surprise, the Doctor's head was now facing the ceiling, and dark black smoke was coming from his mouth! When it was all gone, the TARDIS stopped beeping, and Dad came from around a corner, smiling.

" He was miming, 'shock', Violet. That seemed to suffice," he said, sitting down and taking a swig from the ginger beer.

" Yes, it also sufficed to break my eardrums," I mumbled. The Doctor smiled, happy to be back to his normal self. " Thanks for that- though now, I think the TARDIS may or may not hate you for setting off all her alarms..." he said, straitening his bow tie, and checking on his dear baby time machine. Aristonta sat down in the chair and watched the Doctor intently, leaving me to somehow shock my genius of a father.

As he took the last anchovy, he smiled at me smugly. " How are you going to do it then, you have always been rubbish at surprising me."

" Well, I can't tell you now, can I?"

" I could get the Doctor-ah!" Whilst he was talking and being full of himself, I slapped him in the face- hard. The black smoke proceeded to fly out of his mouth, and he was clean.

" How was that?" I asked, now being smug myself. He rubbed his cheekbone.

" You slap like your mother! Don't- don't ask" he said, now rubbing his neck in embarrassment. I didn't press for details- he was a jerk in the past, that was all I had to know.

" Sorry about... that..." he said, in reference to his behavior.

" It's fine. So then, _agh_, this is disgusting.." I said, taking in the ginger beer and walnuts, then the fish.

" Well, it's the enzymes in the food, then the shock, whatever it may be, gets the adrenaline going, which starts up the Residual Energy, and I am in fact, in love with you Uncle John."

" WHAT-" I started, then almost chocked on the smoke coming out of my mouth. My father, in the mean time, was laughing uncontrollably.

" Your _ face_!" he said, giggling to the point of tears, almost rolling on the floor.

" That was- you- you need help!" I said, laughing along with him.

" Of course I don't love John romantically, gross, I married your mother! Your face, Violet, was priceless." From the TARDIS console, I heard the Doctor laughing as well. We walked over to the console, my crazy father and I, and I was glad that the Game was still on- that, though we were in danger, we were all still alive, and we could still laugh, and punch one another( I had punched Dad for giving me _that _kind of shock- he took it with a smile)- I was glad there was still some hope.


	8. Shadows and History

" Shadow Proclamation, right then!" the Doctor said, pulling the main lever, and we were once again plunged into the Time Vortex. Dad and I clutched on to the rail as the Doctor hit buttons, and Aristonta clung to the chair for dear life.

" So..." I said to my father, still a bit over-curious, " Mum and only Mum, right?"

" What- Of course, don't be stupid!" he said, a little to loud. When the Doctor glanced over, Dad shifted his eyes downwards, and apologized. It was a stupid question, but really- really though.

" I realize that if your mother or John heard that, they would have killed me, but in my defense, it was quite funny... Okay, sorry. Violet, you know John is just a... friend..." Even after all these years, he still had problems with saying that word. " Sort of like a brother, one could say. Though, of course, I would not really know, considering my real brother is a complete and utter-"

" Oi!" The Doctor interjected, " No swearing in the TARDIS! 'Specially not around little ears," he said, glancing at our little friend, who was smiling, slightly confused. Dad stood there awkwardly for a few seconds, staring at the floor from the corner of his eyes. Saddened, I deduced, by the mentioning of his best friend who was once again, in danger to get to Sherlock Holmes.

" Of course I know he's your best friend, Daddy. Which is why we're going to let hang whoever dared touch John Watson, yes?" I said, only half asking.

" Exactly," he said with a devilish grin, fire in his eyes, less-than-half joking.

The TARDIS stopped making the wheezing drum noises- we had landed in the Shadow Proclamation- the Space Police. I, of course, was well acquainted with the Shadow Proclamation- they were like my Scotland Yard, and they consulted me when they where out of their depth- meaning I only got a case every month or so, because unlike the Yard, the Proclamation knew what they where doing. No offense to the Yard of course, but...

The Doctor also was known to the Proclamation- he used their name often, and there was one occasion, I've been told, when they helped him and his friend at the time save the Universe- again.

My father, however... At 18, as the Doctor suggested, I was recognized by the Proclamation as an official upholder of the Universal laws as an " amateur" detective. My father and mother where there, of course, and Dad made an offhand deduction about one of the Jadoon officers... He didn't mean to offend him, but the "Space Rhino" as Mum said, thought otherwise. Long story short, while Sherlock Holmes was recognized as a Timelord of good repute on Earth, and some authority when it comes to strategic deductions, he was also recognized as the only being to go against a Jadoon in any sense of the word and survive.

When we landed now, the Doctor gave him a stern look.

" Sherlock-"

" Yes, I know."

" Try not to-"

" I'll keep my thoughts of the Jadoon to myself, yes."

" Better yet, try not to speak at all."

" Never going to happen, Doctor." Dad replied, smiling. The Doctor only rolled his eyes, then led us out of the TARDIS. As per usual when someone just materializes into the Shadow Proclamation, a herd- rather, troop of Jadoon surrounded us, guns at the ready. We held our hands in the air, Aristonta looking frightened, my relatives looking impatient as I was. For some reason, the TARDIS doesn't translate Jadoon, but as I happen to know the language, the conversation between the Sargent and the Doctor went like this.

"_ Halt! Why are you here?"_

_" Lots of things, but long story short, we have the last of the Vinvocci here, so put the guns down!"_

They lowered their guns. "Thank you," the Doctor said, relived. The Jadoon led us to the Shadow Architect, the leader of the Proclamation, an android with pale, almost white skin, similarly light curly hair, and red irises. I held scared little Aristonta's hand the whole time while Dad stood behind me, away from the Jadoon.

The Shadow Architect, or Madam, as I simply called her, gave me a curt nod, and one to the Doctor, but frowned in my father's direction.

" Violet Verner, always a pleasure," she said. " Doctor. You!" My father grinned innocently towards her, in his usual crazy manipulative style. That doesn't work on Androids.

" I know you are most likely the reason the Shadow Proclamation is blessed with the gifts of Violet, but nevertheless, you, sir, can leave!"

" No, no, he's with us, we need him-" the Doctor started.

" No, _you're_ with_ me_ because I needed your TARDIS-" Dad tried to reply, but he was cut off.

" Oh, that's the only reason, is it?"

" Father, please, that's not what I-"

" GUYS! Really? Sorry, Madam, we're just a little... stressed. We kind of need your help," I said, over the sarcastic snorts of both men. I glared at them, and the Doctor, at least, shuffled his feet a bit and shut up.

" Why _are_ you here, all of you, at one time?" Madam pressed, leaning forward against the holographic computer.

" Well, nice to know the Yard isn't the only insufficient task force in the Universe- UGH... Sorry..." Dad spat through gritted teeth, after I stomped on his foot. The Shadow Architect still heard, and took to heart... or... gears?

" You," she said, pointing at him with a long, thin finger, eyes burning, " Will not speak until spoken to, Mr. Holmes, for we are wasting time."

He opened his mouth again, but said nothing- because he couldn't. At all. Because the Shadow Proclamation has lots of technology, and silencing people's vocal chords is too easy. Uncle John would have reveled in the glorious moment when Sherlock Holmes was finally shut up against his own will. I smiled, but then the thought made my gut hurt, and I blinked the burning sensation out of my eyes.

Through giggles, the Doctor said, " Hey- hey, Shadow Architect, please, he's annoying but he needs to talk, Violet doesn't know the whole story, and we don't really need your help, we just-"

" And you too!" Madam interrupted, and the Doctor's voice was also silenced mid- sentence. His arms where still moving wildly, like he didn't realize he couldn't talk. Then he blushed, and dropped his arms loudly.

" Thank you," Madam said. " Now, Violet, please tell as much of the story as possible, and we shall see if I can help. Especially with this little one. Oh, oh- is it- she? Weary? There is a couch over there, little one, help yourself to a rest for a while. Now- continue, I feel like there is a Time table."

I explained the whole story, from the texts in London, to the Planet of the Vinvocci, Madam occasionally letting the Doctor and Sherlock interject when necessary. When I finished, Madam leaned back in her chair, shocked.

" It is as I feared."

My father and the Doctor both opened their mouths to speak, their eyes as wide as mine.

" What do you mean, Madam?" I asked, hardly gaining enough control not to yell. THE DOCTOR AND I WHERE SUPPOSED TO BE ALERTED TO CRAZY PSYCHOPAHIC ALIENS

ESPECIALLY IF _OUR FAMILY WAS INVOLVED, _THAT WAS THE DEAL! My brain screamed.

" Stirrings. The Jadoon have been reporting different intricate crimes thought the Universe- some of them by known criminals who could have never succeeded at their... "stunts," as you sometimes say, in the past. Some of them are the same signature. Sound familiar?" she asked. The Doctor, Dad, and I all looked at each other, thinking the same thoughts.

" You may speak."

But neither of them said anything, still processing the information.

" It couldn't be him, could it?" I said, not elaborating- they knew perfectly well who I met.

" No. No, it cannot... No!" Dad said, shaking the idea aside.

" But why not?" I pressed. " He did it once! The Fall, remember? He shot himself in the brains, then three years later, all of England gets the same Gif, and you and Uncle John and Auntie Mary and Mummy-"

" Violet, no, stop! Think! This is a Universal scale! There is no way Moriarty was anything but human, I would have known!" Dad said, still shaking his head, looking at the floor, trying to think.

" Okay, what about the Master then?" I said. As soon as I said, it, the Doctor looked up and glared, my father opened his eyes. I should have felt bad, but I regretted nothing.

" How- what? How in the name of... SANITY, did you know about him? How could you-"

" Doors, Doctor, the Doors of the mind! You wanted to read my mind once when I couldn't talk to Dad, and I found a bit of information floating around in your head- a door like you said,"

" How dare you-"

" Who said I opened it?" I said, laughing manically, angry now. " It was already open, by you. I didn't press, but I was curious. The TARDIS has a library, and she's who I go to when NO ONE DECIDES TO TELL ME ANYTING OF MY OWN PEOPLE! That's how you regenerated. A whole year of time being reset- oh, you didn't tell anyone that? Just a handful know?- all because your ex-friend decided to go crazy on Earth again. And again, when he took over everyone's heads! Oh- looks like your son remembers part of that..." My father touched his head as if he had a migraine, then shook the feeling off.

" Violet, now's not the-"

" I'm just evaluating all the evidence, father, just like you taught me. Obviously this is some power-hungry psychopath, out for some sort of revenge on our family, and both the Master and Jim Moriarty fit the description! And since Moriarty's apparently dead-"

" SO IS THE MASTER!" The Doctor yelled, his eyes all rage. " The Timelords collided with Earth, and tried to bring Gallifrey back that way, but it didn't work. Rassalion was there- our hero...turned villain. The Master was sucked back into the Timewar, while I survived. He's dead. He used all his energy to defeat Rassalion. The Master became a hero, Violet, and I forbid you to speak of him ever again. He's dead." The Doctor looked back down at his hands, fighting tears.

Too much too see. Too much to deduce. Too much in my head. What I had missed was the most important thing. "Ex- friend" I had said. But not to the Doctor. The Doctor would always love the Master as a brother, no matter how much of a power- hungry maniac the man was. My Grandfather. I missed it. Because I was an idiot.

" I- Granddad- I'm so..." I went over and put my hand on his arm, then hugged him. " I am so stupid. I am so sorry."

He nodded. The Shadow Architect was about to say something, but then, a Jadoon officer came in.

" String of murders, out of Timestream. Time starting to collapse." We all jumped up at those words- that sounded like Him, whoever he was. There was our enemy.

"Where?" we all demanded.

" Unable to reach. Blocked off." The officer said.

" What are the coordinates?" the Doctor asked, stepping forward, his voice impatient. " The TARDIS can reach it!" The Jadoon looked weary, for a rhino, but when Madam gave him a nod, he continued.

" Not confirmed."

" What?" Dad asked. " Oh- oh, you didn't find this did you? Some one reported it, didn't they? A message came in?"

" Yes."

" From whom?" He pressed.

" Not confirmed." Dad cursed. " Of course. Let me see the message. They'll be another one coming in, I think."

There was, in fact, and we read both.

_Good job, you! Here's another one... a little more dire this time. More on the line. Higher stakes! Like that, don't you, Doctor, especially you, Sherlock! You'll love this next one._

The next one had the coordinates, which the Doctor pocketed. I rushed over to Aristonta, and woke her. " Good bye. I have to go now, but if there is anything you need- call!"

" Violet, wait!" She said, running to me as I turned away. " Be careful. And... if you can... kick that bad guy's but extra hard, for me? And also! Say hello to Doctor Watson! Can you tell him that I like his writing?"

I was touched by the niceness of this little child ,and promised to both ends. " In fact... I'll get you an autograph, okay? I'll check up on you, maybe soon?" She smiled, and released me. I went over to Madam, and thanked her, than ran into the TARDIS.

I cracked my knuckles, and waited as the Doctor punched in the numbers to the consul.

" Ready?" he said, smiling at me again, in forgivness.

" _Allons-y_!" I nodded. I don't know why he would smile at a French expression, but I think I saw one cross his lips as he pulled the lever.


End file.
